Now You're Here
by take the mic. sing to me
Summary: “You’ll see.” He opened the door for her and followed her inside what must have been a reception hall. “Table for two, please.”[ chapter 1 revised ]
1. PDAs in NYC

**A/N**: Hey; after taking a little break from _Here I Am, the One That You Love_ and revising some stories, I really wanted to try revising/editing/rewriting this fic. It's the most popular one, and as I read it I realized that I would've loved to include some more detail.

Trivia: The Tagalog (Filipino) movie _Ngayon Nan Dito Ka_. Gabriella is a barely-middle-class girl who lives with her mom. Her older sisters, Sandara and Maya, have recently married. To help her mother, she works in an Internet café. Troy is a rich boy. His dad gave up coaching after Troy graduated high school and signed onto a partnership with an old college buddy. The company has grown greatly, but not without a price. Unknown to Troy, Mr. Bolton, whose health is weakening, is deep in debt and has no way to pay the money back. Kayla Bennington can be imagined as a cross between Miley Cyrus and Kay Panabaker.

* * *

Twenty-two-year-old Gabriella Montez sighed—contentedly or tensely, she wasn't sure—as she and twenty-three-year-old Troy Bolton strolled along the dark gray sidewalks of New York City. She'd just come back from a reunion party with their East High friends, and guess who was there? None other than Kayla Bennington, the hotel heiress. Troy's parents had constantly been trying to get Troy and Kayla together, although Troy and Gabriella couldn't figure out why, for the life of them. And perhaps that was what was troubling Gabriella so much. Kayla.

She hated feeling jealous when she knew, deep down, that there really wasn't anything worth worrying about. Troy was hers. He'd always been hers, and he had eyes only for her. She knew that. Everyone knew that. Kayla knew that, she was sure. Gabriella, not exactly wanting to meet Troy's eyes just yet, stared at his feet, walking in step with hers. She smiled a little, remembering how long it'd taken them to actually go out, and how they must have frustrated their friends to death. But it was worth it all. It had finally happened. Sure, she fought with him. But making up was always the best part. They'd go out to a fancier dinner than usual and dance the night away, and the next day was better than before they'd fought...

"Gabi?" For some reason, she seemed distant to Troy. That rarely happened unless she was deep in thought—usually pondering something, or just upset, worried, or angry.

"Hm?" Gabriella looked up, and made the "mistake" of looking into his deep blue eyes. They were like shimmering pools—no, seas—of blue that any girl could get lost in if she was lucky enough to hold his gaze. Gabriella's eyes were what gave it away. Some people say you can read a person's mind by looking deep into their eyes with your heart. And Troy did just that.

"Gabi..." Troy repeated slowly, caringly... gently. "What's wrong?" He draped his arm around her shoulder, protectively holding her closer to him.

"Nothing," Gabriella replied through gritted teeth. She tensed her shoulders and the rest of her body underneath his touch. Her voice was cold and Troy backed off a little, sensing the distance that had somehow formed between them.

The couple walked along about a block more in silence before Gabriella caved. "Troy..." she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "your parents... they... they want you to be with Kayla."

Troy sighed and squeezed her hand. "Gabriella... you're the only one I love, you know that? And, since we've been through this so many times, I'm going to prove it to you once and for all." He looked behind them and saw a worn marble wall that separated them from the garden at the front of a museum. He climbed on top of it and stood near the edge, but not far enough to fall down. "Everybody listen up!"

Gabriella pulled Troy's leg, pleading with him to come down. "Troy, people will think you're drunk," she scolded.

Troy ignored her, continuing: "My heart belongs to Miss Gabriella Montez!"

Some people walked on in annoyance, proving Gabriella's theory that they'd think Troy was drunk. A few others smiled and shook their heads, probably thinking, "those crazy kids," and reminiscing on their young and foolish days of youth; and the rest hooted and clapped, egging Troy on.

Troy was encouraged by those who seemed to applaud for him and his "performance." "And she doesn't believe me, so I'm going to have to prove it to her in front of all of you! I love Miss Montez with all my heart. She's the only one who makes me feel this way—like I'm alive, and that every day is worth living just because she's alive, too." He turned to a pink-faced Gabriella, extending a gentlemanly hand in an offer to pull her up on the wall beside him. She held it, but refused to be pulled. Too mortified to look at the growing crowd, she kept her gaze fixated on his blue eyes, twinkling with mischief and triumph.

"Yes," she muttered through gritted teeth. "Now get down before I kill you."

"Thanks for listening!" he chuckled and waved to the curious onlookers. Soon, the streets were only normally congested. "Now, do you see how silly it sounded when you brought Kayla up?"

"Me?" Gabriella looked at him incredulously. "You're the one who just climbed on top of a wall in New York City and assured some people you were drunk. And I'm the one who was silly?"

"Yes... yes, I think you have it right." A smile tugged at the ends of Troy's lips. "You know I love you, right, Gabi?"

Gabriella smiled up at him and continued walking alongside him, her head now resting on his shoulder and his arms draped around her, holding her close. "Yeah... I know. I love you, too."

"Yeah... I know."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Mom, I'm home!" Gabriella said cheerfully, putting her luggage down and slipping her shoes off.

"How was New York?" Mrs. Montez asked. "That was very nice of Troy to pay for your ticket. I was a little uneasy letting you go off all by yourself... but I knew Troy would take care of you. Then again, you might've never come back."

Gabriella plopped down onto the small couch good-naturedly. Her mom never got tired of teasing her about Troy... and Gabriella secretly suspected that her mom was eager for her to get married and become Mrs. Gabriella Bolton. "Well, to answer your first question, Mom... New York was fun. Ryan and Kelsi work at Broadway, and Kelsi's having a baby soon. Sharpay and Zeke flew over all the way from Burbank, where Zeke's cooking show is. Sharpay's the head of the drama institute there and also pregnant. Chad and Taylor are the only ones besides Troy and I that aren't married—although they are engaged."

"Oh, and that's _all_ that happened?" Mrs. Montez pried casually.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, took the remote control from the coffee table, and began surfing channels. "Yes, Mom."

"Oh." Mrs. Montez couldn't help but be a little disappointed. "Well, Gabi, I'll go make some dinner. How does that sound?"

Gabriella smiled. "That sounds great." She got off the couch and decided to unpack before taking a shower.


	2. Tokyo?

A/N: Thanks so much, _TroyandGabriellafanFOREVER_ and _mylifeismine_, for my first two reviews! Sorry if this fanfic is kinda unconventional Troyella… I have a fiction license. xP I'm kind of getting into this story… give it a chance, because it'll probably get more interesting later on. I hope. Cross your fingers!

**FYI**: In this story, Gabriella's family is entirely Filipino. HA. ♥♥♥

* * *

Troy and Gabriella were rested on top of a grassy hill overlooking the country and the city. They had "hiked" up there and had put their backpacks down to enjoy a snack of hoagies and Gatorade. Troy was leaning against one old, gnarled tree, and Gabriella had willingly rested her head on his chest. The couple had often climbed this hill if they wanted a break from the norm or simply a peaceful place to talk and discuss things. 

"Gabbie… when we get married, how would you design our house?" Troy asked casually. Both of them had plans to marry each other but had agreed to live "freely" for at least a year or so more… or at least until Troy's parents finally learned to accept Gabriella after almost five years. Since Troy was expected to inherit large amounts of money from his parents, he was planning to design his house with Gabriella.

"I'm not sure…" Gabriella sighed contentedly. "But I want our bedroom to have a view…"

"…uh… yeah, of course." Troy couldn't help but feeling a little shocked. He'd never imagined sharing a room with Gabriella. He wondered what she'd look like in the morning, then quickly stopped himself.

"…maybe a view like… right here… not a house on a hill, of course… just… a nice view." Gabriella giggled. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"Maybe…" Troy laughed, too, running his fingers through her hair. He couldn't help but notice how soft and curly it was. Gabriella's hair, to him, seemed like a chocolate milkshake waterfall cascading from her head in ringlets. Just the thought of a chocolate milkshake made him hungry, but he couldn't eat his girlfriend's hair.

"Why do you always do that to my hair?" Gabriella asked absent-mindedly, dissecting a blade of grass into tiny green threads.

" 'Cause… I like to."

"Well, that's no fair. Can I touch your hair?"

Troy chuckled. "You're a weirdo."

"I'm a _fun_ weirdo," Gabriella shot back, suppressing laughter.

"Okay, c'mon, fun weirdo. Let's go down the hill and back to Sandara's house." Troy picked her up by the waist and whirled around quickly, ignoring her pleas.

"Put me down, Troy! Tro-oy! Please! Put me down!"

"Oh, put 'cha down, you say? As you wish, madam." Troy let go of her and caught her again before setting her gently on the grass.

"You always know how to make a girl feel like royalty," Gabriella said sarcastically, placing her hands on her hips.

Troy gave an overdramatic bow. "Thank you, your highness."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, slung her backpack over one shoulder, and grabbed Troy's wrist. "Come on, Prince Charming. Let's go to Sandara's."

---

"We were expecting you two," Sandara smiled as she let her younger sister and Troy inside. "Sorry, but Josh is at work… I do, however, have two people I know you guys will be surprised to see." Her eyes twinkled; Gabriella and Troy cast her puzzled looks.

"Wha… wow… Chad… and Taylor? You're here? How? When? Why the heck didn't you tell us?" Gabriella sputtered her eyes wide.

"Hello to you, too, Gabbie," Chad laughed in amusement.

"Wow, Taylor, you look great," Gabriella smiled. Her first friend from East High looked prettier than ever in a red, pink, and white paisley summer dress, white heels, and a red cropped cardigan. Instead of being pulled back as usual, Taylor's hair was delicately clipped back perfectly to frame her face. The happiness that she obviously felt, being Chad's fiancée, showed on her face, which glowed with radiance and pride.

"Hey, you, too…" Taylor blushed a little.

Troy and Chad exchanged hellos and caught up with each other, as Taylor and Gabriella did. Sandara smiled to herself and went about preparing dinner like she used to in Albuquerque while Gabriella was in high school… after she had completed her online college courses, of course.

"So…" Troy began. "Why're you guys here? Besides to see us? I mean… I thought you guys were planning your wedding and all."

Taylor shrugged. "We got the call from your sister," she told Gabriella, "and she said that she wanted us to come over for a second so… well, there wasn't really a reason."

Sandara fought to keep a straight face as she set the table, topping each plate with a stainless steel top, like they did in fancy French restaurants. "Dinner's ready," she called out softly.

"Great! I'm starving," Chad was one of the first to slip into a chair. He looked at the steel lid curiously. "Sandy… what's up with the…uh… this?"

"Well, tonight's special." A mysterious smile played on the hostess's lips.

"Oh… well… what is it?" Chad removed the top and looked even more confused when he saw a plain white business envelope where his food _should_ have been. He pouted. "I'm hunnnnngry," he whined.

The others laughed. "I think you're supposed to open the envelope, Chad," Troy offered good-naturedly, his blue eyes twinkling. Everything was like it had been—only without the rest of the gang.

"Oh," Chad repeated simply, tearing the envelope open. "Whoa… what's this? A ticket to Tokyo?"

The other three murmured the same response, and all four turned their heads to look at Sandara, requesting an explanation.

"Me and Josh were going to go with Maya and Jericho… but we can't. You guys'll enjoy it a lot more, anyway."

Gabriella opened her mouth to protest, but Sandara continued: "Maya and I are pregnant."

"That makes more sense," Gabriella finally said.

"It does… so, will you guys go? For me?" Sandara made puppy dog eyes.

"So _that's_ where Gabriella got it!" Troy exclaimed.

"Tolja it was foolproof, sis," Sandara laughed. "So…?" she raised a questioning eyebrow.

"We'll go."


	3. Think of Us

Author's Note: I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to skip details on the trip and cut to the chase. Maybe I'll revise this story to make it longer, once it's finished… the original version. This story needs more reviewers, please! I'm thinking of making a sequel should the public see it fit. Hint, hint. Sorry that this chapter is so short... it's a filler.

* * *

"They have the cutest stuff here, Taylor!" Gabriella grinned while browsing Japanese stuff in a store. Taylor was looking at a set of punk-rock-looking Hello Kitty pins while murmuring her agreement. 

Chad and Troy were looking at the cell phones when Troy's own rang. "Hello?...Mom?...Hey, I'm doing great, and so is everyone else… what's wrong?..." Troy pursed his lips. "Sure, Mom. I'll get the earliest flight I can catch."

"Hey, man… you don't look so good."

Troy's eyes were downcast as he gripped his phone tightly before slipping it into his jean pocket. "I don't feel so good. Listen… I have to go to the hotel right now and check out."

Gabriella and Taylor had joined Chad and Troy in the store. They had heard the last part. "Why're you leaving, Troy?"

"Gabbie… I… I have to go. I probably won't come back, since you guys will be here for almost another month. My dad… he's really sick. Sicker than he's ever been before, and… I… I just want to be there… in case this is finally… you know. _It_."

"Wow, Troy. That's really… awful," Taylor said carefully.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you? I mean… it won't be the same without you." Gabriella didn't feel the need to add that she'd feel like a third wheel around Chad and Taylor, also realizing that that would sound terribly unimportant, not to mention selfish, considering what was going on with Troy's dad.

"No… no reason for me to ruin the vacation for everyone," Troy forced a smile, but that didn't make any of the pain behind it lessen. "I need to go now so I can get back home as soon as I can." And, just like that… he was gone.

---

More than a month passed. Gabriella and Troy hadn't talked for three months, since Troy was staying in a faraway city (original, I know xP), where his father's hospital was. From what Gabriella had heard, Mr. Bolton wasn't getting any better, and it was a miracle that he was still alive. Of course, she had always assumed that the reason for Troy's lack of communication with her was because of the many things going on in his life—he would have to take over his father's business (Mr. Bolton's business partner wasn't expected to live more than three more years), and that would take a lot of work and adjustment. So Gabriella simply waited for him to contact her. Eventually she gave up on hoping for anything and simply went about her life as if Troy had never been in it. There was one small part of her that would never give up… even if she'd never admit it.

---

Troy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He paced the floor; he'd never felt more stressed-out in his entire life. It seemed like whenever his father was awake, he was always angry at him. It was getting to the point where Troy resented his father more than he had ever before—even as a rebellious toddler, teenager or college kid.

---

"Okay, okay, Dad. I'll take over the family business, and I'll do a good job. Is that all you're worked up about?" Troy exploded in exasperation before plopping down into one of those squishy hospital armchairs.

Mrs. Bolton began tearing up, but Troy didn't notice because he was so busy holding his shaking head in his hands. "Troy… no, that's not all. You know how everyone's saying how lucky you'll be to inherit so much?"

He nodded tiredly.

"Well… you're not. Not as much as you probably think, anyway. What I'm saying is… your father and I have a lot of debt… and since I can't work because of numerous health reasons…"

Troy looked at his parents stonily. "So that's why you never liked Gabriella. That's why you never approved of us… why we've been putting off getting married. Why you're always trying to push Kayla and me together."

More tears welled up in Mrs. Bolton's eyes, and she shook her head ashamedly. "But, Troy, there's no other way. You have no future with Gabriella. Y-you have to think of us."

"Think of _you_? Seems like a funny thing to be saying right now." Troy stormed out of the hospital room.

* * *

A/N: So... whaddya think? Filler, I know. But I've updated twice today... already. Probably will again, since I seem to have the opposite of writer's block today. Also, my mom refuses to buy me much-needed braces, so if you're a Christian, like I am, please pray that God will provide...


	4. Runaway Bridegroom

Author's Note: This chapter is more of a filler, too. This is probably the "scene" that is most true to the plot of _Ngayon Nandito Ka_. If you're Filipino and haven't watched it, get your butt off that office chair and go do it.

* * *

_You've got to tell her sometime, _an annoying voice kept on prodding Troy. _Might as well be the day before you get married_. Gulping, he took out his cell phone—the one that had the picture of her from the '06 karaoke party—and dialed her number. It rang and was quickly answered. "Hi… Gabriella, this is Troy." He hated how he had said her name. It didn't hold the same love and care it used to. In the place of those two emotions was awkwardness and fear. 

"Oh, hi, Troy!" Gabriella cradled her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder. It was her lunch break and she didn't want to waste a spare minute. Her voice sounded so happy, innocent, sweet, and… unknowing that it cut Troy to the core. He began to choke up and he was crying openly now.

"Gabbie," Troy broke down, "Gabbie… I'm so sorry." He was sobbing now.

"Troy… Troy, don't cry. It's okay. Everything's okay. How's your dad?"

"I just want you to know that I love you… and I always will." Some of his tears got onto his phone, but at this point he didn't care about being electrocuted by tears in his cell—if that were possible, that is.

Gabriella felt a little weirded-out. Did his dad die or something? She felt horrible for asking about it so directly when that was probably the reason for his sorrow. She knew how close Troy was with his dad—not only were they coach and basketball player, but they were father and son, both on and off the court. "Shhhh, shhh, Troy… calm down. I love you, too. Do you want me to come... wherever you are?"

"Gabbie… Gabbie, I'm so sorry. So sorry."

"It's okay… I missed talking to you and everything, but I know you were busy. And I'm sorry about your dad. I never heard."

Troy was sure that if he were two people, he would have one of himself kill the other. He was such a coward—unable to approach the subject directly. In fact, if he weren't such a coward, he wouldn't be marrying Kayla against his will in the first place. And what Gabriella thought was the problem wasn't—his dad was alive… alive enough to attend the blessed union. Or… unblessed, rather.

A long pause.

"Troy… that _is_ what's wrong… right?"

Another pause.

"No… it's not. Gabriella… I'm getting married tomorrow." Fresh tears spilled down his cheeks at the pain of those words. Now there was no hope whatsoever for him or Gabriella. He'd probably be miserable all of his life… and right then he couldn't help but feel sorry for Kayla. She would probably have to imagine him as a loving, interested husband, because he was sure that he could never be either. Not for her, anyway. He could only love and be interested in one girl. But now that could never be. What about Gabriella? Would she be unhappy in life, too? She'd probably be busy being the world's leading microbiologist… but then again, she'd always said that there was a certain part of her that only he could fill. That part of her would have to remain empty forever.

How he wished he could make a clone of himself to kill. In fact, he'd probably be jealous of Gabriella if she cloned him and then killed his clone. Maybe if they came to speaking terms again, she could clone him again, so Troy could have a shot at it.

"What?" Gabriella could understand why Troy was crying. But if he was so devastated, why was she marrying… whoever-she was? "Why?"

"My parents have a big debt…" Troy was amazed that he could explain understandably. "And they can't pay it back. So I have to marry Kayla." He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take hearing her cry. It would tear him apart. So he turned the phone off.

---

Preparation for Troy's wedding was a silent one. Neither of his parents bothered to offer an "I'm proud of you, son" or "I'm sure you're going to have a wonderful life together." Anyone that knew the truth knew that Kayla was simply being used as a pawn to repay the now-infamous Bolton debt. Troy got to the wedding in silence. He didn't bother to choose a best man, so his parents and Kayla's chose for him. He hardly even recognized the bony, dark-haired guy.

Kayla came forward with the bridal procession. Many gasped and people took pictures. Professional photographers for various magazines and newspapers were there, too. _Wow. Kayla has paparazzi, _he thought sarcastically. He stood there, a glazed look in his eyes. When he looked at Kayla, he saw Gabriella and imagined her in a wedding gown. It would be white and lacy with the purity of virginity, and either Taylor or Sharpay (Taylor, he was guessing) would be her matron of honor (that is, if Taylor and Chad were married first). Troy could envision how gorgeous Gabriella would look…

"Do you, Kayla, take Troy Bolton to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"And do you, Troy, take Kayla Bennington to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Troy felt lightheaded. It was as if reality had struck him like a lightning bolt--again: _You aren't getting married to Gabriella. You're getting married to Kayla so you can use her father's money to pay off your dad's debt_. He felt sick to his stomach. Even though he hadn't eaten much in a long time, he felt like he was going to throw up.

And he did. All over Kayla's designer wedding dress. He wiped his mouth off and ran out of the frightening Catholic Church (where Kayla had arranged for the marriage to be).

* * *

A/N: Filler. A sad one, too. ♥♥♥ --- Christa (aka Dolce Viva La Glam) 


	5. So, We Meet Again

Author's Note: I've been grounded for almost getting hit by a car; my mom limited my computer time to one hour a day. (sniffles) R&R!

* * *

Two long years had passed since Troy's un-wedding to Kayla. Mr. Bolton died just shortly after he had made up with his son. Mrs. Bolton now lives with her single younger sister. Mr. Bolton's business partner is also dead. Troy was miraculously able to pay off all of his father's debt. The company grew weaker, and was later bought by a larger one—Brown Industries & Co. Troy's company makes quality furniture.

Gabriella has learned to forget about Troy and was determined that she wasn't going to make her life one big soap opera. Putting her microbiologist dreams on hold, she works as a part-time secretary for her smart and handsome new boyfriend, Derek Brown. She is genuinely happy with their relationship—Derek seems like the perfect guy. He gets along well with all of her friends (well, except for Troy… she hasn't heard from him since the horrible last phone call); he knows exactly how to treat her, no matter how she was feeling that particular day; he was very intelligent and graduated college as a magna cum laude; plus… he was hot as heck (even though she only thought these thoughts in the comfort of her own mind). Ah, yes. She'd never forget that fateful day when she'd spilled her iced coffee on him in Barnes & Noble. Life was good.

---

Troy stood on the city sidewalk and kept on checking his pocket to see if his design was still there. Few things were worse than getting your boss to hate you; you don't burn the hand that signs your paycheck. Troy scolded himself for being so worried. Derek was a cool guy—probably about his age. He didn't have anything to worry about.

---

"Hey, Derek," Gabriella smiled. There were definitely perks to being in love with your boss. Not in that gross, Donald-Trump way, though.

"Hey, Gabbie," Derek returned. Gabriella always appreciated how Derek never called her "babe," "hot," "chick," or "sexy," etc. Both of them agreed that those terms sounded disrespectful and made them feel as if the attraction the person felt was merely physical and nothing more. "Made you some iced coffee… well, I didn't make it, but I bought it…" he sputtered.

"Awww! Thanks." Gabriella took the cup after kissing him quickly on the cheek. "This is the kind I spilled on you in Barnes & Noble… oh my word! It's our monthaversary!" (A/N: "oh my word" is from Nicole, I think… and "monthaversary" is from _Life with Derek_, but that's not where I got her boyfriend's name.)

"Yep…" Derek smiled shyly. "I was wondering… if we could celebrate…tonight? And maybe afterwards, if you really wanted to, we could go to Barnes & Noble?"

Gabriella laughed. "Sounds great."

"Pick you up at seven?"

"Perfect."

---

"Mary Jane?" Troy asked the red-headed fill-in secretary. "I have an appointment with Mr. Brown?"

Mary Jane nodded. "His office is just down that hall… oh, and good luck, Troy."

"Thanks," Troy smiled gratefully before following her instructions.

---

"Well, I gotta go, Derek… poor Mary Jane's been filling in for me every morning," Gabriella confessed apologetically.

"It's fine. I have a meeting to run off to, anyway. If there are any packages, drop them off in my office." Derek gave Gabriella a soft kiss before they parted ways.

-

"I'm so sorry, MJ," Gabriella said to the slightly older girl.

"It's OK," Mary Jane smiled understandingly. "I know what it's like when you're in love. You lose all track of time." She got up from the chair and made her way to her own cubicle.

"Uh… yeah. Exactly." Gabriella felt a little confused. How did one lose track of time, simply because of love? She hadn't felt that way in a long time. She hadn't felt that way since… Troy. _Shrug it off, Gabbie. He's married already. Too late to go back, now. Besides… Derek's great. Everything you wanted in a guy since you were like… six_.

---

Derek stepped into his office, finding Troy patiently waiting in a chair opposite his.

Troy stood up politely to greet his boss. "Hi, Mr. Brown."

"Call me Derek. I'm just twenty-five."

"Really? Cool. So am I." Troy felt a little more at ease, and sat down.

"So… you said you have a great new design? May I see it?" Derek settled into his black leather office chair, behind his mahogany desk. "Your email implied something like that."

"Yes…" Troy fished the folded-up piece of paper out of his pocket. He unfolded it, smoothing out the wrinkles. All of his fingers felt like thumbs and he dropped it. He bent down to pick it up, bumping Derek's desk and sending a wooden picture frame falling towards his head. _Ow._ He rubbed the spot on the back of his head where the picture frame had hit him before picking up the frame and the paper. "Sorry." He set the frame back on Derek's desk, the photo side facing away from him, without looking to see who was in the picture.

Derek looked at Gabriella's smiling face and couldn't help but smile himself. "No, no, it's okay. Nothing was damaged."

Troy slid the paper to Derek across the desk. "This set of legs supports this part, making this chair more long-lasting than any other one on the market."

Derek scanned the drawings carefully. "This is really… ingenious. If you don't mind… could I get everyone started on it right now? That way, it could be available by mid-summer."

"That sounds great," Troy nodded.

---

"Etta? What's this?...oh, a package? OK, thanks." Gabriella put up an "away" sign and headed down the hall towards Derek's office. She knocked on the door. "Package."

---

"Come in," Derek called, feeling the smile already on his face grow. A woman with dark brown curls walked into the room, obviously happy to see Derek, too.

"Here's your package, sweetie," she giggled a little before kissing him on the cheek.

Troy gaped. _Ouch_.

"Gabriella, I'd like you to meet Troy Bolton, our star furniture designer."

Gabriella snorted, folding her arms across her chest as she turned around slowly… _it couldn't be._

"Troy, meet the love of my life, Gabriella Montez."

* * *

A/N: I was seriously thinking of tormenting you guys by not having them meet but simply miss each other for at least two more chapters. Should I? Dun dun dunnnn...

♥♥♥ --- Christa (aka Dolce Viva La Glam)


	6. My Boss's Girlfriend

Author's Note: Glad y'all liked the story so far. But, please. A little more than two reviews a chapter… pwease? I'll love you all for it… plus… there's a good chance I might update more/make this longer/perhaps even add a sequel or something. I kinda feel sorry for poor Derek. He seems like a nice guy. I'll have to twist this into some sort of everyone's-happy Troyella. Hm. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you! It's another filler…

* * *

"Troy," Gabriella held her hand out politely.

"Gabriella," Troy's eyes were pleading as he shook her hand warmly. It felt cold and stiff in his hand, not soft and tender as it probably would've, had he shaken it two years ago. He tried to send messages with his eyes—unfortunately, he was pretty sure that all of them were desperate. He felt a little sorry for Derek… by the way he was grinning from ear-to-ear, he couldn't possibly know that he was introducing exes to each other. Especially since one of them was "the love of his life."

Right then, Troy re-thought that whole "don't burn the hand that signs your paycheck" concept. But then again, giving Derek third-degree burns wouldn't help his cause at all. What was his cause, anyway? Ugh. Too much in one day. Almost like the time when he found out he was going to marry Kayla because his father had a huge debt.

"Gabbie, I was going to ask Troy to join us for dinner some time next week. How would that sound? That way all three of us get to know each other," Derek said in ignorant bliss.

_Troy plays the piano…_

_…Gabbie ran away from dance class as a third grader_.

"Sounds great," Gabriella smirked as she left the room. "See you tonight, Derek."

_Ouch._

"See you." Derek smiled. "I'm telling you, Troy… if you haven't found her yet, you will. You'll find the girl that totally completes you. You'll either be totally different, similar, or have everything in common. As far as I know, me and Gabriella are soul mates. I'm thinking of proposing to her in about two weeks. I like you, Troy. I like your style, as I've said before. So… let's keep this between us, huh? Man-to-man?"

"Yeah…" Troy felt more lightheaded by the minute. "Thanks. For everything."

---

Derek, Gabriella, and Troy sat in a restaurant not that far from Brown Industries. After a bit of small talk, Derek told Troy a little about himself. He was very modest when listing his accomplishments and goals, and even noted a few of his own weaknesses.

Troy tried not to look sick the entire time. _Derek is a good guy. At least I know Gabbie's in good hands_… but he couldn't help but think that if Gabriella'd give him another chance, she'd be in better hands.

"So… Troy. You married? Have a family and kids?" Derek asked, taking a sip of Pepsi.

"Oh…no," Troy smiled sheepishly, glancing at Gabriella.

It was all she could do to not drop the fork she was holding. A lame "really?" was all that could escape her lips.

The evening ended earlier than planned, since Derek had to rush off again. "Do you have a ride, Gab?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'll take my car," she said distractedly. For some reason, she couldn't keep her mind off of Troy. But, surely he was just trying to make her feel better… but Troy was never one to lie. _I need to talk to Taylor_.

"Good. See you, Gabbie. Troy." Derek waved at them before leaving, smiling, still unaware of what had just happened.

---

"Gabriella?" Troy squeaked. They were both in the parking lot of the restaurant. "I never married Kayla. I never loved her."

Gabriella spun around to face him, her eyes fiery. "And what? You still love me, and you expect me to throw away all of this for you? After the way you _treated_ me?" Tears stung her eyes, and she turned away quickly. "You don't know how much you've hurt me." She rushed towards her car, opened the door and threw herself inside. Sensing the falling tears, she floored it. She had to get away.

"Gabriella…" _She's gone._

---

When Gabriella got home, she found her face tear-stained and a little blotchy. She ran a hand across her face quickly, then reached for the phone and dialed Taylor's number. "Hi…Chad? Can I talk to Taylor?" She waited until she heard her friend's voice, waiting a little before asking about Troy. "You never told me… fine, maybe I did brush you guys off, but…" she felt choked again. "I'm so sorry, Taylor. This isn't your fault. I… I have to go think."

* * *

A/N: Sorry about all the short chapters. I'm going to have to change the rating in the next chapter or so.

♥♥♥ --- Christa (aka Sawk-Rawker, formerly known as Dolce Viva La Glam)


	7. Derek

Author's Note: Before somebody else corrects me, I've been spelling _Ngayong Nandito Ka_ wrong this whole time. xP Please forgive me. This chapter is about how Gabriella & Derek celebrated their monthaversary and their next date. I didn't want to ruin the Troyella-dedicated chapter… so the first part comes in-between the two parts of chapter six, and the second part (their next date) comes after the entire chapter. Hope you guys got that… or this could get confusing. This chapter and the next one have a scene inspired by the book _Torch Red: Color Me Torn _by Melody Carlson (one of my favorite authors). This chapter has a bit of Troyella, too.

Oooh, and in _NNK_, Garie's (Gabbie) boyfriend's name is Derek! O.o I just watched it today and can't believe I remembered!

* * *

Derek was just dropping Gabriella off at her house after a nice little night celebrating their "monthaversary." He pulled up into her driveway and asked, "Babe, do you mind if I stay for a cup of coffee?" 

Gabriella felt a little ticked-off at his choice of words, but smiled and said, "of course," anyway. She was so frustrated with herself. She didn't know how to say "no" to Derek anymore. Which wasn't usually a problem since they agreed on most things… then again, having known him for only a month, she couldn't be entirely sure of that.

All of those thoughts fled from her mind when the door opened and she saw what was inside. Her entire house looked so different. Rose petals were scattered around the floor, and her plain, white-carpeted living room looked like a romantic garden. There were pictures of her all over the place. This was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her. _Makes sense—only Derek Brown himself could afford to go all-out._

Derek took a rose out of a glass vase and held it out to her. "Gabriella… will you marry me?"

Speechlessness.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Derek stepped closer to her.

Gabriella felt a little uncomfortable, but that could be because she hadn't been this close to a boy in awhile. _Not since Troy, anyway. Ugh. There I go again_.

Gabriella had to wait a little before sound could come out of her mouth. "Y-yes, Derek. I will marry you." Derek opened his arms for a hug, and she embraced him. The hug felt a little weird… again, probably because she hadn't hugged anyone of the opposite gender in awhile.

"Great." Derek presented her with a ring. Gabriella had never seen a shiny rock so big. "We can have another date next week, after we have dinner with Troy."

Gabriella plastered on a smile as Derek slid the ring onto her finger. _Troy._ Even after he had broken her heart, strangely, she had always imagined this moment with him. Then again… they were… _weren't_. Anymore.

---

On the way to their date, Gabriella couldn't even pretend to be interested in what Derek was talking about. She'd been pretending too long. Troy had called her, texted her, emailed her, even instant-messaged her… all telling her about how sorry and miserable he was. He'd even stopped her at work two times since the dinner. Every time, he had looked close to tears. But each time, Gabriella couldn't bring herself to just "forgive and forget." She had stiffly reminded him that their relationship was now "strictly business," and asked that he didn't bring up their past, especially since she was now engaged to Derek.

She was brought back to reality when Derek pulled into the parking lot of a five-star hotel. "What's this?" she asked, feeling her stomach churn.

"I promised you that our date'd be special," Derek said simply. This time, he didn't even bother to open the door for her. Something about him was different, and it scared her a little.

Dinner was nice, and Derek even convinced Gabriella to dance with him a little. They were the youngest people on the dance floor, and Gabriella enjoyed the attention she and Derek drew from the older couples.

"This is a nice place," she laughed lightly, forgetting about all the doubts she'd had whirling in her head earlier. They were entering the lobby, hand-in-hand. She liked hearing the click-clack from the heels of her brown boots against the shiny, beige marble tiles.

"Yeah… me and my dad go here sometimes on special occasions." Once they entered the lobby, Derek walked through it instead of heading towards the door.

Gabriella opened her mouth to say something, but by the look in his eyes she could tell he was fully aware of what he was doing where he was going. Her body tensed, but he didn't notice.

He led her into the elevator, telling her that he wanted to "show you something."

Gabriella helplessly followed and hated herself for it. _I've been doing a lot of self-hating lately_. When the elevator stopped at the floor Derek wanted, he led her into the carpeted hallways and stopped in front of a door.

"Tonight's gonna be special," Derek drawled, more to himself than to a horrified Gabriella.

Her eyes darted around quickly. Derek seemed drunk or high… something he hardly ever was. If she were to run, he'd surely catch up with her and who knows what he'd do then? They had discussed their views on abstinence, hadn't they? Maybe all Derek wanted was to show her something… but she was almost sure that wasn't the case.

Derek slipped the room card in and out, unlocking the door. He stepped inside first, leaving the door open for Gabriella, who unwillingly followed. There was a bucket on the bed, full of ice and with two small bottles of wine in it. Gabriella panicked again… hadn't they talked about alcohol, too? She was sure they had… maybe it was just for decoration… or maybe he never cared in the first place. Tears threatened to fall as she stared at the wretched rock sitting on her left-hand ring finger.

Derek took a bottle out of the bucket and opened it, taking a swig.

Gabriella stayed as close to the doorway as possible, in case she needed to run. "Derek… I didn't expect you to book us a hotel room."

"So you were leading me on the whole time?" Derek turned away from the large window to face her. He looked angry and advanced towards her, like he had the night of his proposal.

"I thought we were clear on that!" Emotion surged through her—indignation, anger, humiliation. Everything, she was sure, except for love, which she now realized she had never felt for him in the first place. "I thought you listened. I thought you cared!" She turned to leave, but she felt a strong grip on her wrist. She looked back into Derek's face. He looked angry, and the pain in her arm made her want to yelp. He pushed her onto the bed.

Gabriella held her breath and racked her brain for ideas. Derek could obviously overpower her whenever he wanted to, and he wasn't himself. His face was so close to hers that she could smell the alcohol. She'd heard of a date rape and shuddered at the thought. Suddenly, an idea came to her. _Oh, God, if I get out of this safely, I promise I'll never date an idiot again…_she prayed fervently. Her plan came with a lot of risks, but she was willing to take them, she decided, if it helped her get out alive.

"Wait, Derek," Gabriella murmured as seductively as she could muster, considering she felt disgusted, running her fingers through his hair. "We need to take it slow, okay?"

Derek lessened his grip on her and backed off, relaxing. "Yeah, baby. We can take it as slow as you want."

Gabriella had to keep herself from squirming underneath his hungry gaze. "I need to change out of this dress, hun, so I'll be more comfortable. Maybe into a hotel bathrobe. You close your eyes and keep the bed warm for me, OK?"

"Yeah, baby. I get it. I'll keep it nice and warm."

Gabriella got out of bed slowly, making her way to the bathroom. At the last second, she bolted out of the door and ran downstairs to the lobby. She came to the sick realization that she was stuck here, since Derek had brought her to this stupid, five-star place. _Figures I'd forget my cell phone tonight. _The only thing she had was… a business card from… Troy. "Call me if you need me," he'd said. _Well, if there's any time I needed him… _her footsteps were filled with dread as she headed towards a pay phone outside… _it's now._

"Troy?" Gabriella sobbed into the phone. "C-can you come get me?" She spilled the entire story to him, not caring about the curious eyes she drew to herself. She finally hung up and hugged herself in the cold, waiting… for him. Glancing down at her fingers, she threw the ring off and ground it into the dirt with her heel.

---

Troy drove Gabriella to her house in silence. The only words she spoke to him were those that showed him where her house was. Troy nodded, and stole glances all along the way at her tear-stained face and her broken frame. She looked so hurt… so scared. He could only imagine what she looked like when he had told her he was getting married. He wanted to reach out and touch her… hold her again.

* * *

A/N: Awwww! This chapter was, oddly, a lot of fun to write. Even though it wasn't very _NNK_-like, except for the proposal part. I hope you liked it! I thought it was a nice change from Gabbie telling Troy off and everything… 

♥♥♥ --- Christa (aka Sawk-Rawker)


	8. Jacob

**Author's Note**: I know that Derek wasn't himself in the last chapter, but that just goes to show you what alcohol can do to people. Thanks for all the nice reviews, especially wendy04 & The Confoozhing Nessia.

* * *

Gabriella felt a little nervous. She hadn't seen her friends since Chad and Taylor's wedding. She knew that they all probably looked the same, but couldn't help but wonder, anyway. She stepped into the restaurant, which seemed to be the place to meet people lately. _Oh, well, at least it isn't a hotel_. "Hey, guys," she cracked a smile, sliding into a stool in front of a bar, where everyone else was seated. "So… I still don't know what this 'reunion' is for."

"What, a bunch of guys and girls can't get together with their friends?" Chad said.

"We tried to call you last night, but I guess you forgot your cell phone," Sharpay shrugged. "We all flew in and were crashing at Taylor's place. I swear, it was just like high school. Except for you and Troy weren't there, whispering sweet nothings in some sort of secluded corner," she laughed.

Troy and Gabriella didn't find this very funny.

The usual back-and-forth banter went on as the group of friends grinned and drank soda floats, as if they didn't have to work, there were no problems, and they didn't have a care in the world. Gabriella and Troy zoned out for a little, one thinking of the other.

"Yeah, Gabriella and Troy should totally get married," Kelsi laughed.

_That girl must be high. _"What the heck?" Gabriella snapped out of her reverie.

"Yeah… remember that one time in college, when Gabbie saved Troy from getting arrested by pretending to be pregnant? That was hysterical, and pretty good acting, too," Sharpay chimed in.

Zeke chuckled. "She got her backpack and stuffed it underneath her shirt. Spandex, was it?'

"Cotton," Gabriella muttered. "It was cotton."

"Still… that was some stunt you pulled. And then the police drove you to the hospital!" Chad reminded.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"Hey, Gabs, want some Coke?" Taylor asked. She had a frosty can of it in one hand. She was all the way at the other end of the bar, and threw it to Gabriella. It was a little off-course and caused Gabriella to lean backwards to catch it before flailing in the air, eventually falling off her stool and landing with the top of her head against someone's abdomen.

Gabriella opened her eyes and covered her open mouth in horror. She was looking into the face of a stranger—a cute stranger with a kind face, but a stranger nonetheless. She returned to her sitting position and turned around to face him. "H-hi," she said, trying to be as friendly as possible. "Sorry about that."

The man's eyes were friendly and seemed to twinkle with amusement. "It's OK. My name's Jacob, by the way. Jacob Harrison." Jacob had curly blond hair and blue eyes. He was slightly tanned and looked like a surfer. "Who do I have the pleasure of running into on such a fine day?"

Gabriella giggled nervously and held out her hand. "Gabriella. Montez."

Troy turned away, sighing. How was he supposed to "compete" with a guy like Jacob Harrison? For all he knew, Gabriella worked for Jacob, too. And she obviously liked him, since she was giggling the giggle. The one that would light up her entire face and most likely yours, too. It seemed like there was no hope in hoping anymore. He'd have to take action, like the man his birth certificate told him he was. Just… not right then.

"Well, then, Miss Montez," Jacob grinned, his Hollywood-white teeth sparkling. "I hope we meet again."

"Me, too," Gabriella beamed. She didn't want to be "on the rebound," and there wasn't anything wrong with being cautious. Still, another part of her begged fate to let Jacob cross her way again. She turned back to the table, which had been silent, eavesdropping without shame. "You guys!" she scolded, but was unsuccessful in hiding a smile.

"Score one for Montez!" Sharpay laughed. "Good catch. Cute, polite, sweet, looks athletic but not the jockish jerk kind—" she eyed Chad accusingly.

"Yeah… wait, huh?... Hey!" Chad retorted. "And I believe it's 'jerkish jock.' "

"Whatever." Sharpay blew him off before continuing. "The important thing is, Gabriella, that this Jacob Harrison guy has potential. More than that Derek dork you were telling us about last night."

Gabriella merely nodded, looking for Jacob as inconspicuously as possible. She spotted him with two guys. He caught her gaze and winked. She looked away, blushing.

"Gabbie, Sharpay's right. If you and Jacob have enough in common, this could be the best relationship you've ever been in," Kelsi added.

"In fact, he could be _the one_!" Taylor squealed. The guys rolled their eyes, as if to say, "girl talk."

Troy felt his cheeks burning. _Hello…? I'm right here!_

But nobody else seemed to notice.

"Yeah, and if any guy breaks your heart, we'll beat 'im up for you," Ryan offered, pounding a clenched fist into his palm for effect.

"And we'll visit you every day when her ex knocks you out into a coma," Sharpay teased.

Troy smiled and went along with the conversation, his eyes or mind constantly wandering to a certain dark-eyed brunette.

---

Gabriella drove home, humming a familiar tune. What _was that song called again?_ She tried to recall the lyrics. _"It feels so right to be here with you—oh. And now, looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart the start of something new…"_

_The Start of Something New_. Yes, that accurately described how she was feeling. Even though she had only met him that day and had talked to him for mere minutes… something was there. Something new and exciting. Like… like the way she'd felt on the night she had first met Troy. _Montez, you're being simply ridiculous. Back to Jacob…_ for some reason, she was sure that he'd never hurt her like Troy and Derek had. And she promised herself she'd never make the same, stupid, guy-related mistakes again.

She entered her modest home, half-expecting Derek to be there, on his knees, groveling at her feet for forgiveness. She was pleasantly "disappointed." She passed by the island to put her house keys down, then saw the blinking signal on her kitchen phone, telling her she had one new message.

_"Uh… hi… Gabriella? I… uh… kinda looked for your number in the phone book. Hope you don't mind," Jacob laughed nervously. "I know we just met and all, and I'd totally understand if you got creeped-out and never answered. But I was just wondering… would you like to spend a lunch break with me sometime? I work at Brown Industries & Co_ (**A/N**: XD, Who doesn't?), _and I… could take you to a café, buffet… any sort of… 'fay'… whatever you want." He left his number before ending the call.

* * *

_

**A/N**: (gasp) Poor Troy… whenever he thinks Gabriella's available, another guy snags her heart. Don't worry, Jacob's cuter than Derek and much better for Gabbie, anyway. And he won't hurt her. So how is this going to end a Troyella? Teehee. I luff Jacob. He's the awesomeness.

♥♥♥ --- Christa (Sawk-Rawker)


	9. I Know We're Cool

**Author's Note**: Sorry if the last chapter disappointed you. (sigh) It disappointed me, too. 'Twas cruddy. 'Twas a filler. And so is this one, kinda.

* * *

"And it was almost like a date rape in that stupid hotel," Gabriella sighed, unconsciously resting her head against the palm of her hand. Having lost her appetite while talking about Derek, she picked at her food, rearranging the noodles and the side dishes so it looked like she had eaten a little.

Jacob shook his head disgustedly. "That's awful… why're you still working for that guy, anyway?... another question is, why am I?"

Gabriella smiled softly, twirling a lock of her curly dark hair around her finger. "I mailed in a resignation form. I don't really want to have to look at him again," she confessed bluntly, slipping the fork into her mouth daintily.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to work on mine when I get home," Jacob smiled back.

_He is so adorable with his blond hair. _"Huh?...oh, yeah. The resignation form. Gotcha." Gabriella was a little flustered before she stood reluctantly. "I have to go. But I had a great time." She placed a hand gently on his arm. "I'd like to do something like this again… with you."

Jacob's smile grew wider. "So would I." He stood up, too, left a tip, and walked her to the door. "See you later, Montez."

"Yeah… I'd like to."

---

Troy paced the floor of his room nervously. It had been just the night before yesterday when he drove Gabriella home from a date gone horribly wrong. And then it was just the next when she had received an invite from Jacob—a guy she hardly knew, might he add—to go out to eat. And good ol' Gabbie had accepted. He looked at the cell phone clutched tightly in his hand—so tightly that his knuckles looked almost transparent—and considered throwing it against the wall in frustration. He refrained because he really didn't want to pay for any costs that might have to cover the damage. _Dad… _he moaned inwardly. He knew that most of this was his dad's fault. And, as usual, he had to be the model son and oblige, sacrificing his and Gabriella's happiness in the process. Oh, how he wished death on himself.

_It's now or never._ He flipped his phone open and browsed for Gabriella's number. There it was—and her picture… the first one he had ever taken of her. She was beautiful, and she had blossomed over the course of time. Right now, she was more beautiful than ever… and he didn't blame Jacob at all for asking her out the first chance he got.

He pressed the "call" button and waited. "Please pick up, please pick up…"

"Hello?" Gabriella's voice rang out bright and cheery.

"Hey, this is Troy… how did your date with Jacob go?" Troy tried hard to not let his envy show, even though he was pretty sure that he was unsuccessful—by the tone of her voice, she sounded like she'd had fun.

"Oh, it was great, thanks." Gabriella remained unfazed. A good sign…? Troy hoped so.

"Listen… the reason I called you was to tell you that I'm really sorry. And I'm still waiting for forgiveness."

"You got it, Bolton."

"So… we're friends, right?"

"Sure, if you want me to be."

_That and so much more. _Troy leaned against a wall and lifted his chin to stare at the ceiling. "Yeah, I want you."

"I want you, too." After a pause, she continued, "Troy? I gotta go. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah… later."

* * *

**A/N**: Well, at least they're friends again! I didn't want to stuff too much into one chapter, so I kinda broke it down into two or three parts. I have the rest of the plot all planned-out, and I'm considering on rewriting certain parts of this story when it's all finished. Making it longer and more elaborate, maybe. 


	10. I Just Can't Let You Go

**Author's Note**: I finished writing the last two chapters last night. This one has a bit of Troyella in it.

* * *

A few months later, plenty of things had changed. Jacob and Gabriella were now happily engaged, and Troy and Gabriella were friends again. In fact, Troy and Jacob had formed a strange bond over high school basketball. Turns out that Jacob was his school's MVP as well. But Troy couldn't help resenting Jacob, especially when he, Gabriella, and the East High gang would get together for a meal. Jacob usually had his arm draped comfortably around Gabriella's chair, squeezing her shoulder once in awhile and pulling her closer to him. _What is she, your security blanket?_ Troy would think disgustedly. Still, he couldn't deny that Jacob was a great guy—a perfect match for Gabriella, even. And that was the problem. Something was supposed to be wrong with this picture, right? But whenever Gabriella was with Jacob, she seemed to glow. Troy had never seen her like this—so happy, so _ecstatic_. 

And he just couldn't bring himself to take that away from her.

---

Gabriella was glad that no preparations for the wedding had been made yet. She wasn't sure she could handle all of that stress at one time. She, Jacob, and Troy were working for Jacob's uncle, doing jobs similar to the ones they had done before. She was still adjusting to her new workspace—a little office with a window view that overlooked the city. She couldn't help but wonder if Jacob had pulled any strings for her.

Gabriella often found her eyes wandering to the envelope that had contained Troy's ticket to Japan. Somehow, she had never returned it. Whenever she had a spare minute she'd stare at it, almost trying to decode invisible ancient writings embossed into the paper.

Jacob had just walked in. "Hey, Gabbie," he smiled, kissing her quickly on the cheek.

Gabriella dropped the envelope near his foot.

---

Jacob sat at his desk, rearranging folders and papers. He came across Gabriella's envelope with Troy's name on it. He smiled again. _Those two are the best of friends._

---

Troy called Gabriella to ask if she could come to Kelsi's house. "You get to see Caroline, her daughter. Jacob can come, too, if he's free."

"Actually, he has stuff to do, so I won't have a ride…"

"I could take you," Troy offered, a little too quickly. "As a friend. Friends help each other."

Gabriella laughed. "Mmhmm, Troy. Glad you learned something at daycare today."

"I try to make you proud."

---

"Troy, please!" All of his so-called friends begged. "We want to hear you play the piano!"

"No, guys! I haven't practiced in so long! I suck!" Troy said, not for the first time. He felt the same way he had when those total strangers had "assisted" him onstage at the New Years' Eve party.

"I have sheet music. You were always a good sight reader," Kelsi offered oh-so-helpfully.

---

_"But the more I try to ignore this feeling, the more I find myself believing… I can't let you pass me by, I just can't let you go, but I know that I am much too shy to let you know. Afraid that I might say the wrong words and displease you…" _Troy couldn't take his eyes from Gabriella, who was looking back at him, a blank or somewhat confused expression etched onto her face. Thankfully, his mouth and fingers seemed to know what they were doing. Occasionally he'd see Gabriella mouthing the words, which was a good sign…? Relient K was right. Emotional girls need to wear mood rings.

---

Everyone else was already on their way home, and Ryan and Kelsi had indicated that they were planning to hit the sack. Troy and Gabriella headed towards the driveway, neither attempting eye contact.

Finally, Troy couldn't take it anymore. "What's wrong, Gabbie?" he asked carefully.

Gabriella had her arms folded across her middle and kicked a small piece of gravel around, like a stubborn toddler. Her chin was on her chest and her eyes filled with tears. "What's wrong? What's wrong is you, Troy. I'm sorry about this, since I know we're friends, but I just can't take it anymore. You can't expect me to leave Jacob for you—you left me for two years. I wouldn't give up hope, but you helped me with that when you told me you were getting married. My life was going fine, and… and **now you're here**, and everything's so confusing again… and I'm sorry that this time I can't choose you." She sniffled, then attempted a weak laugh. "I lo—_still care_ about you. I don't want you to be hurt the way I've been hurt." Gabriella smiled through her tears. "There are other girls in the world, Troy. And any of them would be lucky to have you, I'm sure."

Somehow Troy sensed that Gabriella didn't tell him the whole truth. Something prodded him on—what, he might never know. Gathering up all the courage he never knew he had in the first place, he took Gabriella's head and held it in his hands, using his thumbs to gently wipe away her tears. Surprisingly, Gabriella made no move to resist.

* * *

**A/N**: I'll have the last chapter up later today! Please review, they make me happy! 

♥♥♥ --- Christa


	11. Letting Gabbie Go

**Author's Note**: I know you'll hate me… but there's no kiss. There aren't any kisses at all in this story, except for maybe in the first chapter. This is a short ending, but chapters nine, ten, and eleven were going to be one… anyway. On with the story.

* * *

Adrenaline was coursing through every inch of Troy's body. Shaking a little, he pulled Gabriella's face towards him and leaned down to kiss her. Their noses touched…

"TroyIhavetogothanksforgivingmearidetoKelsi's." Gabriella jerked away from him and ran away as fast as she could. Tears stung her eyes as she sat down on the curb, hugging her knees to her chest. Life was so much easier when everyone wanted to be Blossom the Powerpuff Girl and boys had cooties.

---

"Gabriella, you can't love Jacob and Troy."

"I know, Mom, I know." Gabriella paced the floor. "I'm thinking." She'd spilled the whole freaking story to her mom first. She just didn't think that hearing her girl friends' hyper squeals were going to help her clear her head.

---

Gabriella finally got out of her room and met Jacob. They sat down on the sofa. "Jacob… I have to tell you something. I… I want to cancel our engagement for now. I'm not breaking up with you… it's just that I'm not ready. And… I need to tell you something. It's about Troy. He's… my ex-boyfriend."

---

Over the next few weeks, Jacob made feeble attempts to try to please Gabriella. She always seemed so distant, and now when she smiled at him, he could tell it was forced. Now Jacob sat at his desk, holding Troy's envelope in one hand and Gabriella's engagement ring in the other. Each time, he'd shake his head hopelessly.

Something had to be done.

---

"Where're we going?" Gabriella asked. Jacob had told her that he was going to take her someplace very fancy, and that she should dress accordingly.

"You'll see." He opened the door for her and followed her inside what must have been a reception hall. "Table for two, please."

---

Troy stood in the garden of the restaurant, right where Jacob had told him to go. _Where is he?_ Troy asked himself worriedly as he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling like a fool.

---

"…and that's why I think we're the ones who should be 'just friends,' " Jacob finished. He got up from the table, gave Gabriella one last warm hug, and left via the garden entrance.

Troy stopped him. "What are you doing?"

Jacob looked at Troy, his blue eyes honest but reluctant. "I'm letting go of Gabbie. I love her, but you're the only one she can love back."

Troy walked over to Gabriella, who was smiling and even laughing a little through watery eyes. She looked as beautiful as ever, but what she said was even more breathtaking…

"I love you."

* * *

**A/N**: I didn't want to bog down this chapter with too much stuff. I know I broke my promise, but my parents are only giving me two hours a day! Once again… I'm thinking of revising it. : And review, please!

♥♥♥ --- Christa


End file.
